Los Angeles, California - Danish chef Rene Redzepi, co-founder of the world-renowned Noma restaurant, announced on Thursday he was quitting following shocking allegations of abuse of staff.
"After more than two decades of building and leading this restaurant, I've decided to step away," the famous chef said in an Instagram post that acknowledged past problems.
A protest was held on Wednesday at the opening of a Noma pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles where Redzepi had been due to take charge.
"I have worked to be a better leader and Noma has taken big steps to transform the culture over many years," Redzepi said in a video that showed him apologizing to staff. "I recognise these changes do not repair the past," the 48-year-old said.
He also stepped down from a charitable foundation he set up.
The master chef has previously admitted to losing his cool.
In 2015, he said in an essay: "I've been a bully for a large part of my career."
Noma: "A story of a maniac"
The world of fine dining is currently confronting mounting accusations about the treatment of staff at top restaurants.
The New York Times published a story at the weekend with witness testimony of past abuse at Noma in Copenhagen, including punches thrown and public shaming.
The paper said it had interviewed 35 former employees about the period between 2009 and 2017.
Noma, which specializes in modern Nordic cuisine with fermented ingredients, has three Michelin stars.
The Copenhagen establishment was named the world's best restaurant five times between 2010 and 2021 by Restaurant magazine. Its meals can cost several hundred dollars.
In February, the former head of Noma's fermentation lab, Jason Ignacio White, started posting about abuse he had witnessed while working at Noma.
"Noma is not a story of innovation. It is a story of a maniac that would breed culture of fear, abuse & exploitation," White said on social media.
He was among former staff members who protested in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Redzepi insisted in his message that Noma would remain open and that its current team was the "strongest" that it had ever been.
He also said the Los Angeles project would be maintained but without him at the helm.